Redemption
by NsophieP
Summary: Raphael takes a walk through the sewers and finds a mysterious girl who cannot remember anything from her past. She seems happy and friendly, but what forgotten memories could be lurking at the back of her mind, waiting to be remembered? Takes place before Karai's mutation.
1. The Girl in the Sewers

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT. (Obviously I don't, if I did I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.)**

Raphael made his way through the dark sewers. He had recently had a fight with his older brother and he didn't feel like going back home in some time. Thinking about all the stupid things they had yelled at each other, he kicked a can out of frustration. They had both been really stupid, and he knew it. They weren't children anymore and yet they quarreled like seven year olds every now and then. He actually didn't like the fact that he could get irritated so easily, he really just wanted to be softer and perhaps a little goofy like Mikey; but his pride wouldn't allow it.

 _"Damn."_ He thought as he rubbed his hands trying to get the cold out of them. It was late November and the cold of winter was starting to settle in, he seriously regretted storming off like that, without taking a jacket at least. Sooner or later he would have to return home, the cold wouldn't let him wander off deeper into the sewers.

Just as he was turning around to go back, he heard a most peculiar sound, a sound that didn't belong to the cold and smelly sewers, a whimper. Without thinking it twice he followed the noise to a rather dark tunnel. He heard the noise again, and he couldn't help but notice that it sounded pitifully weak. He hurried, and in the distance he could make out the silhouette of a person. The figure was lying on the floor and slumped against the wall. The figure was small, almost like a child, and it wasn't moving at all.

As he moved closer, he couldn't help but notice the dark staining on the floor near the figure. He crouched down beside the figure and noticed it was a girl, no older than April. Her skin looked waxy and there was no color whatsoever on her face, he laid a hand on her shoulder and found it cold. For a moment he feared that she had died in the time it had taken him to find her, but then she opened her eyes and jumped up and pushed Raphael away. "Hey calm down! I just wanna help!" Raphael spoke as he evaded the frantic punches the girl threw at him. Her eyes seemed glossy and Raphael understood that the girl was not actually conscious but rather her body was moving by instinct.

Almost as suddenly as she had reacted she collapsed and Raphael caught her before she made contact with the hard ground. Raphael pondered about what to do next; surely he wouldn't leave her here to die. The hospital was a few blocks away, but it was broad daylight. There was no way he could make it there without being seen. " _Maybe I could get Donnie to check up on her and when night comes we can drop her off at the hospital."_ Raphael felt proud for his good reasoning. _"Splinter won't mind at all, I'm sure."_ Making sure the girl was secure in his arms, Raphael hurried down the tunnels.

Raphael looked down at the girl as he walked; he was surprised he hadn't noticed before how her attire didn't match the weather at all. Her dirty and shredded grey dress was no match for the cold and she wasn't wearing any shoes at all. There were bruises and cuts everywhere he looked, her hair was matted with blood and dirt, and her right wrist seemed dark and bruised as if broken. Had she been fleeing from someone? If so, was that someone dangerous? He wondered if she had escaped from an abusive family; he recalled seen many T.V. shows and movies in which children and teenagers fled their abusive homes. _"Great, now I've become melodramatic."_ He thought.

 **Authors Note:** **Hello guys, I finally uploaded a chapter in for the very first time (** _ **Yay me!)**_ **. I really hope you like the story so far. Constructive criticism will be very welcomed and would really appreciate it if you would give me your reviews. Thank you!**


	2. Unexpected Guest

_"There's no place like home, I guess."_ This was Raphael's first thought as he entered the lair; which was quiet, with the exception of Mikey's shouts as he played videogames. Donnie was, without a doubt, tinkering with some sort of … _"stuff";_ it was the only word that came to Raphael at the moment that could describe Donnie's projects. Leo was probably in the dojo, sulking.

"Hey Donnie, need some help here!" Raphael shouted. Donnie's head popped out of the lab, he was wearing his goggles and there was a smear of oil on his face. "Oh gosh! What happened to her?" He asked as he threw his goggles somewhere inside the lab. "Don't know, I just found her." Raphael answered.

"Get her to the lab, hurry!"

At this point, both turtles' shouts had been enough to alert the other members of the family that there was something going on. Mikey muted the T.V., and Leo came out of the dojo and forgot all about sulking.

Donnie cleared one of his tables and motioned to Raphael so he could lay the limp body on it. "Wait here, I'll go get cleaned up." Donnie left and Master Splinter entered the lab. "Who might this be?" Raphael jumped when he heard his father's voice, with all the commotion, Raphael hadn't notice his father standing there.

"Sensei, I-I don't know. She was there and then…" Raphael couldn't understand why he was so nervous.

"It is alright my son, you did the right thing." Master Splinter said with a reassuring smile.

"Coming through!" Donnie entered the lab and hurried towards the girl.

"Come my son; let us give your brother some space. How about you tell me everything?" Raphael was curious about what Donnie would do to the girl and wanted to stay, but knowing that he would just be getting in the way, he decided against it and followed Master Splinter to the dojo.

Meanwhile, Leo and Mikey were peeking inside Donnie's lab, trying to see what was happening.

"Who's that?" Leo asked Mikey in a hushed voice.

"Beats me." Mikey shrugged.

"I need privacy!" Donnie exclaimed as he slammed the door shut.

Donnie took several deep breaths before resuming his work. From what he could see, none of her external injuries were severe; however, the girl was suffering from both hypothermia and dehydration, which he should definitely treat first. He walked back to the door and flung it open, startling his brothers in the process. "Leo, get me some blankets and towels! Mikey, call April and ask her to bring spare clothes!" His brothers were astonished; it wasn't always that Donnie showed his bossy side. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up!" At this, both turtles scurried away to perform each task.

Donnie sighed and reached out to the "emergency cabinets" and prepared an I.V. line. "Here are the blankets." Leo entered the lab with a mountain of blankets and towels on his arms. "Good, just leave them there." Donnie motioned to another work table. "Donnie, April asks what kind of clothes!" Mikey called out from the living room. "A few of everything!" Donnie answered, and once again, closed the door of his lab and prepared for what was to come.

The girl's clothes were soaked and so Donnie proceeded to remove them. He felt so awkward doing this, this was, after all, the first time he saw a girl without clothes. He discarded the dress and continued with his diagnoses. Some of her ribs were bruised, but luckily none seemed to be broken, her right wrist was definitely broken, and several bruises, cuts and scrapes adorned almost every inch of her body; there were also a few scars of old injuries. _"Her body,"_ Donnie thought, _"it seems quite athletic."_

Donnie cleaned her up the best he could, he tended to her injuries, and then made sure that the blankets were enough to warm her up. The turtle, finally, sat down and felt proud of himself and his work. The girl's wrist was reset and immobilized, the worst of the cuts had been bandaged, the I.V. line was hooked to her good… _"less bad arm",_ Donnie thought, and her temperature was slowly rising. _"I could make myself a good clandestine doctor."_ There was a triumphant smile plastered on the turtle's face.

"You in there, Donnie?" A familiar voice called out from the other side of the door. Donnie got up and opened the door, outside was _"the lovely April"_. "Hey April, how you doing?" Donnie flashed his "manliest" smile at her. "I'm good. I brought the clothes you asked me. What happened? Mikey told me Raph came back with someone." April's remark brought Donnie back to reality. "Yeah, she's in there. She isn't in the best shape but she'll be good in some time." Donnie entered the lab with April following close behind him. "She looks like she got the beating of the century. What do you think happened to her?" April asked as she examined the girl's face.

"I don't know, most probably she had a run-in with some gang or was escaping from somewhere. We can't be sure until she wakes up." Donnie said while inspecting the bag full of clothes that April had brought. He took out a pair of yellow jammies. "These would do nicely."

April pushed strands of hair out of the girl's face and flinched at the sight of a rather nasty bruise on her face. "April, give me a hand, will you? I don't feel comfortable with the thought of having a naked girl in my lab." Donnie said as he closed the door for the umpteenth time. "Sure thing." April smiled to herself as she pictured Donnie's embarrassed face, although she didn't have to imagine much because Donnie was already sporting said look.

"Okay, we'll do it nice and easy." Donnie said as he looked away.

The pants went first and Donnie tried hard not to look; the boldness rush was long gone and had been replaced by awkwardness. Meanwhile, April tried extremely hard to not chuckle at Donnie's futile attempts of hiding his embarrassment. _"He's such a good person."_ April thought as she gently lifted the girl's upper body to put on the shirt. As she did so, her eyes caught sight of something unnerving on the girls back. "Donnie, you have to see this."

"April, I seriously don't want to look more than I have to." Donnie answered.

"Donnie, this is serious."

Donnie caught the worried tone of his friend's voice this time and hurried to her side. "What is it? Tell me."

"Donnie, if you close your eyes you won't see."

Donnie opened his eyes and they instantly found what April was talking about. "Oh no."

 **Author's Note:** **Hello once again, I hope you enjoyed reading the second chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. In this chapter I decided to try and intertwine some of the character's thoughts with the paragraphs. I would love to know your opinion about it, so please review (I felt so happy about my first review that I couldn't stop grinning all day. Thanks Raphaelfangirl4real.). I will post as soon as possible.**


	3. Friend or Foe?

"So you see Sensei, that's when I found her." Raphael had just finished explaining how he had stumbled upon the girl.

"I understand, however, I do not believe it to be wise to move her so soon. We still do not know the extent of her injuries. Until Donatello informs us it is safe to move her, she may stay." Raphael felt so happy, of all the rash decisions he had made in his life, this one proved to be the best so far. "Thank you so much Sensei!"

Master Splinter chuckled and sipped his tea; it had been a while since his son had displayed such happiness. Suddenly, Donnie burst into the dojo, a concerned expression on his face. "Sensei, there's something you have to see!"

"Calm down my son. Now tell me, what is it?" Master Splinter always seemed to be so calm.

"It's about that girl. Please, hurry!" Donnie felt frustrated. How could he not have seen it before? It had been there all the time, clear as day, and yet he hadn't seen it. Had he been so engrossed in his work he hadn't noticed? He was such an idiot!

Master Splinter hurriedly walked beside Donatello, and Raphael, whose curiosity and concern had grown, followed closely. Leonardo and Michelangelo were already by the lab door, asking questions to April, who seemed hesitant to answer them. Without a word, Donnie opened the door and soon the lab was flooded by people. There on the table, the girl was lying face-up. Despite being covered by several blankets her lack of clothes was apparent.

"Great Donnie, you just showed us a half-naked girl. We're so proud of ya!" Sarcasm was overflowing Raphael's voice.

"Not that you idiot! I meant this!" Donnie stated as he, carefully, turned the girl so her back would be exposed to the crowd. Nobody noticed anything out of the ordinary; at least, not until Donnie removed the blanket that shielded her bare back to the prying eyes.

Everybody held their breath and did not dare let it go, for there on her upper back to the right, exactly over her shoulder blade was a symbol, branded on her skin; a symbol they knew very well. Only Leo seemed to be the only one to have been able to recompose, for it was he who spoke. "The Foot."

"What does it mean?" Raphael, unknowingly, asked out-loud.

"It means you most likely brought the enemy right to our home." Leo answered, bitterness tinged his voice.

"Now, let us not make assumptions." Master Splinter stepped in, obviously trying to prevent another fight. "Donatello, please inform us of her state."

"Yes Sensei. She suffers from mild Hypothermia and dehydration, four bruised ribs, a fractured wrist, a small bump on her head and several bruises, cuts, and abrasions all over her body. I have taken care of all of it; she could wake up anytime soon." The wise rat stroked his beard; he seemed to be considering all options.

Mikey didn't pay any attention to the conversation and instead stared intently at the burn mark on the girl's skin. "So they like, marked her?" He asked and April nodded. "That's so sick. I know cowboys mark their cows like that, but even cows have feelings; poor cows. Do you think it hurt much?"

"Gee, I don't know Mikey. How much can an incandescent iron on your skin hurt?" Donnie snapped.

"Like a bazillion ten times a hundred?" Mikey asked again and Donnie sighed in frustration at Mikey's mathematic skills.

"The girl will stay." All turtles and April looked up at Master Splinter, who was now staring at the girl almost as intently as Mikey had before.

"But Sensei, what if she's one of them?" Leo asked.

"I highly doubt that our guest is one of them at the moment."

"What do you mean Sensei?" Now it was Donnie's turn to ask.

"Many years back, the Foot Clan used to mark ninjas who had failed them in any way, but had somehow been granted a second chance to seek redemption. Those marked never survived long, for any small transgression or failure meant death. I hadn't thought Saki might have restarted using such methods, though it does not surprise me. Whatever this girl did to upset the Foot, it happened long ago, her scar is very old."

"But just because of all that, it doesn't mean we are safe. What if she wants to go back and sell us for her "redemption"?" Leo asked once again.

"Those marked that had failed the Foot a second time, were severely punished before they were killed." Master Splinter paused for a moment and looked into Leo's eyes. "The girl's injuries weren't meant to kill, but rather to cause pain. I have no doubt this girl was being prepared to be executed."

"I understand, Sensei." Leo answered.

Master Splinter smiled at his eldest; Leonardo would surely be more than capable of protecting his family if anything were to happen to the old rat. "Good. For the meantime we will lay low. This girl, surely, has spent enough time with the Foot to learn any vital information of theirs. If this is the case, they will be searching for her to make sure she remains silent." With that, Master Splinter left the lab.

That night, all but Donatello retired to their respective rooms. He was working on some new gadget in his lab and there was no way he could go to sleep without at least finishing the prototype. He was so concentrated; he almost didn't notice the movement and rustle of blankets behind him. He turned around to inspect the girl. Her eyes were fluttering open.

 **Author's Note** **: I will apologize beforehand for taking so long to update, the last few weeks were extremely busy and I just couldn't find the time to write. However, worry not for I intend on finishing this story. I know the chapter is a bit short so I will try to update as soon as possible. Please review and tell me your thoughts on this story (reviews are like fuel for my creativity and productivity). Until next time!**


	4. Her Name

Donnie drew a bit closer. Her eyes fluttered open, revealing the darkest eyes Donnie had ever seen. "Hello, how are you?" He asked, uncertain about how the girl would react to him.

She simply squinted and groaned a little. "Everything hurts." Her voice was hoarse and tired.

"That's understandable." Donnie was waiting the time in which the girl would scream in horror at his sight. Finally, the girl's eyes began exploring the room and then, they found Donnie. She gasped. _"Now comes the scream."_ Donnie thought; but it never came. She just stared, making him feel more uncomfortable.

"So, um, tell me how many fingers are up." He asked as he held his open hand in the air. However, he didn't expect her to answer.

"Three?"

" _Well that's a relief."_ He thought again. "Does it hurt when you breathe?"

"Yes, but not so much as my head. Are you some sort of doctor?"

"Who me? Oh no! I'm just Donatello, but they call me Donnie."

"Are you a … a turtle?"

"Yeah."

"Ok…"

That had to be the most awkward conversation Donnie had ever had in his entire life.

"So, can you tell me your name?" He asked.

"My name?"

"Yeah."

The girl's eyes traveled to the ceiling and looked confused. She seemed to be struggling before a look of panic and realization flashed through her face. "I don't know. I can't remember! What happened?! Where am I?!" She tried to sit up before gasping and trying to hold her side. Donnie helped her lay back down.

"Hey take it easy! You got hurt pretty bad. You don't want your injuries to get worse."

The girl's eyes were becoming wet and her heart was racing. "Don't worry, you're safe." Donnie reassured her.

"Where is this place?"

"You don't want to know that."

"How did I get here?"

"My brother Raphael found you in the sewers and brought you here."

The girl looked away and sighed. Donnie felt bad for her. He got up from his chair and smiled at her. "You must be thirsty; I'll go get you some water." He left the lab and went to the kitchen. On his way back to the lab, he heard noises coming from the dojo. He peered inside and saw Raphael beating the dummy until it was just an unrecognizable mountain of cloth, leather, sand and stuffing.

"Uh, what are you doing Raph?"

Raphael looked at Donnie and then proceeded to shred the dummy even further with his sais. "What does it look like?" he growled.

"Like you are trying to claim the title of 'The Shredder'. Come on Raph, there's no way I can repair that dummy now and I am definitely not cleaning up that mess."

Raphael stood up and glared daggers at the once-upon-a-time-it-was-a-dummy and sighed. "I'm just in a bad mood today."

"You are always in a bad mood."

"Yeah, probably."

"Is this about that fight with Leo?"

"He's always saying that I don't care. But what does he know?! Last time I checked he was the one going on a date with the daughter of the guy who wants to make us into turtle soup! Then he has the nerve of telling me that I'm endangering my family! I hate him!"

"I know you don't mean that. By the way, that girl you brought just woke up. I should really tell master Splinter." Donnie handed Raph the glass of water. "Here, take this to her while I fetch him."

Raphael was left alone in the dojo with the glass of water in his hands. He was very curious about the girl and Donnie gave him an excellent excuse to go see her. He went to the lab and entered. The girl was looking away from him. "Uh, hi?" The girl looked at him when she heard him and stared. _"Her eyes are so dark."_ He thought. "I brought you some water." The girl just stared _. "What is it? Is she mute?"_ Her eyes were piercing and her stare made Raphael feel uncomfortable. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to stare!" She quickly looked away embarrassed.

" _Well, that's kinda cute."_ Raphael took in details of her face. She was most definitely of Asian descent, her nose was small, her lips were fixed in an eternal pout, and her eyes were the most impressive black he had ever seen. "It's okay, I'm not exactly someone normal looking."

"Are you Raphael?" The girl asked.

"How'd you know that?"

"Donnie told me his brother Raphael was the one who found me and brought me here. I suppose you are his brother, because of the resemblance."

"Well, yeah I am Raphael."

"Thank you… for saving me."

"Oh, you're welcome." 

Just then, Master Splinter and Donnie entered the lab. Master Splinter was wearing his most paternal smile. "Hello my child, how are you feeling?" The girl was definitely calmer than most people that had met the turtles, but her shock was still evident when she saw the giant rat. It took her a few seconds before answering. "I'm better, thank you mister rat, sir." Master Splinter chuckled.

"You may call me Master Splinter, my child." He said and the girl nodded.

"My son has told me you are suffering from amnesia, is that correct?"

"Yes, Master Splinter, sir."

"Do you not remember absolutely anything? Not even your name?"

The girl looked down and sadness was evident in her face. "I-I can't sir." Her voice was almost breaking.

"It is alright my child, you need not to worry. You are safe here. Although, I must ask something else. Do you, by any chance, know of a group called The Foot?" The name must have rung a bell because the girl looked up at master Splinter and met his eyes. For a moment she struggled with her mind trying to remember, and then accepted defeat. "It sounds familiar, but I can't remember."

"Don't worry yourself about it. You must be tired. But before I go, we can't just keep calling you 'the girl', it sounds most disrespectful. I suppose we should give you a name for the meantime."

The girl looked at master Splinter with curiosity and expectation. "You don't need to trouble yourself so much, sir."

"It is no trouble at all my child. Now let's see. A name… A good name… A child… How about, Ko?"

"It is very pretty, I like it." Ko said with a smile.

 **Author's Note:** **Hey guys, here's the chapter I promised. I will try to update soon, although next chapter will probably not be ready until next week or so. Thanks so much for the reviews (I like reading them again and again while grinning like an idiot). Also, sorry for so many cliffhangers, but I really want to keep you guys interested and expecting more. It is so gratifying to know people enjoy reading your work. Ciao!**


	5. Family

"It is very pretty, I like it." Ko said with a smile.

Master Splinter smiled back, bid his good night and left for bed. Donnie had helped the girl to sit up so she could drink her water, while Raphael watched from a corner of the lab.

Now that Master Splinter had left, the room had been filled with silence. The most common thing to do was to leave and go to bed; but Raphael didn't feel like it, and Donnie had to keep watch over Ko.

"You know Raph, if you're not going to bed you could do something more productive than just standing there. How about… cleaning the mess you left in the dojo? Leo won't be happy if he sees it in the morning." Donnie said from his worktable.

"He can go and screw himself for all I care."

"And Mikey will probably come up with countless 'Shredder' jokes, and there'll be no way he'll shut up about it for a prolonged period of time."

Raphael reconsidered for a minute before stomping out of the lab muttering under his breath. "Where's that stupid broom when you need it?"

Donnie chuckled and watched with amusement as Raphael made his way to the dojo while carrying several cleaning appliances. Ko seemed to be amused as well, she seemed to be trying to stifle her laughs. For a brief moment, both Donnie's and Ko's eyes met and they both laughed.

"Ow, wait that hurts! Hahaha. Ow!"

"You probably shouldn't laugh until your ribs heal." Donnie said while recovering from his laughing fit.

"Good idea. Who are Leo and Mikey?"

"They're our brothers. They are turtles as well; although, we do have some human friends too. In fact, I should tell April to come by tomorrow after school. I'll send her a text later."

"Who's April?"

"Only the most beautiful girl to ever walk over the face of Earth. Her eyes are bluer than a perfect summer sky and her hair shines even brighter than the flames of the feathers of a phoenix." He had just spilled his heart out to a complete stranger, so embarrassing. "Don't tell anyone I said that."

"I promise I won't. I never thought a turtle could be so romantic."

"Well, who would think giant turtles living under New York City would even exist."

"So we are in New York?" Ko asked while stifling a yawn.

"That's right. Anyways, you should rest some more. I'll wake you up in some time"

Ko nodded and closed her eyes, she really needed some sleep.

Ko was woken by Donnie sometime later, and once Donnie had made sure her condition hadn't worsened, he let her doze once again. It was morning, or so did Ko thought, when she was awoken by the unnerving feeling of being watched. The first thing she saw when her eyes opened was a curious pair of big childish blue eyes staring back at her. "Ooooh, she woke up."

"Mikey, please stop staring at her like that. It's rude and disconcerting."

"Sorry…" Mikey said with a goofy smile.

Ko smiled back at the turtle and extended her left arm towards him. "Hi, I'm Ko. Nice to meet you."

At this, Mikey gently shook her left hand and spoke in his manliest voice possible. "Hi, I'm Michelangelo; but you may call me Mikey." He handed her a small piece of paper. "This is my cell number; don't hesitate to call when you're in need of a real man."

"Ok…"

Mikey smiled a manly smile and then turned to Donnie with a squeal. "Dude, she's so cute! And better yet, she's got my number! You think she'll call me back?"

"Mikey, she's right there."

"Oh, right. Well, so long my friends. I have to go take care of man things."

Mikey threw a kiss at Ko and then left. "He's such a doofus. Just ignore him."

Ko nodded and stared at the ceiling. The brothers were all so different and nice in their own way. She thought it would be nice to have siblings, and for a moment wondered if she had them and just couldn't remember them. Maybe she had a family of her own that was waiting for her. _"You are wrong, there's no one waiting for you out there."_ A stray thought crossed her mind. She quickly pushed it away and forgot about it.

Donnie made sure his patient ate her entire bowl of oatmeal before helping her move to the living room, where Mikey was playing a racing videogame with Raph.

"Come on stupid spaceship, move!" Raph growled as Mikey laughed and won the race. It seemed that it took all of Raphael's effort to not get up and choke Mikey to death, who was now dancing his victory dance around Raphael.

"Hey Ko, wanna play?" Mikey asked.

"I don't know. My arm still hurts and I don't think I actually know how to play. Maybe next time?"

"Don't worry, you just watch and learn from the master. By the time you're healed up you'll know all my secrets." Mikey said while smiling a rather suggestive smile.

At that moment, Leo walked by and Mikey excitedly asked him if he wanted to play. "No Mikey, I have to practice my katas." Leo answered without even looking back at them. Mikey just shrugged and turned off the console. Raph snarled and Ko wondered if something had happened.

Mikey rummaged through an old box and took out two seemingly old movies. "Hey Ko, since you're the guest here you get to pick which one we see first: "The Invasion of the Killer Clown Monkeys" or "The Attack of the Vampire Llamas". Ko wasn't sure if this was part of her amnesia, but she was sure that she had never heard of those movies before. She decided to go with the clown monkeys; surely with such a silly name, the movie would be funny. It wasn't. The clown monkeys were grotesque, to say the least, and Ko couldn't bear to watch the gory scenes in which the clown monkeys opened up cows and took out their insides. Mikey didn't seem to mind at all, Raph however, seemed to be a bit disturbed, he even discretely looked away when the scary parts came on.

"What a great movie! I always get goosebumps when I see it. Ready for the Vampire Llamas?"

Ko gave Raph a pleading look and Raph obliged. Ko was not up for another of Mikey's movies and Raph was already grossed out enough. "I think Ko is tired, Mikey. She's probably aching all over." Mikey pouted and whined a bit.

"Don't worry, we'll see it some other time." Ko smiled as Raph helped her get up.

Back at the lab, Raph helped Ko to the makeshift bed and he took a seat in front of her. Donnie was nowhere in sight. He was getting some much needed sleep in his room.

"Thanks for the save back there. I don't think I could've been able to sleep tonight if I watched another movie. Where did your brother get those movies anyway?"

"I have no idea, but he's got tons of those things in his room. You're lucky he didn't bring out The Zombie Tooth Fairy. I couldn't sleep for weeks after watching that one, and Leo didn't even dare go to the bathroom alone at night; we were twelve for God's sake!" Raph laughed at the memory.

"Say, do you not get along with your brother Leo?"

"He's an egocentric jerk at times, but I don't hate him. Why you ask?"

"Back there, you two seemed mad at each other."

"Oh, that! He's probably mad 'cause I brought you here. Don't worry; he's just sulky that's all."

"So he's mad at me then… I should probably just leave."

Ko's eyes lowered to the ground. It made sense, she was invading the brothers' life and since they were so peculiar it would be obvious they preferred to keep to themselves. There was no telling what people would do to them if word spread about giant turtles and rats living in the city's sewage system. They could have gotten in harm's way for helping her, they had put their lives at risk. They didn't have to help her, yet they did.

"What? No! He's not mad at you, he's mad at me! He's mad because I took too many risks and stuff!" Raphael's statement didn't seem to put Ko at ease. "Look, before I found you, Leo and I had a fight; so he's just looking for any reason to be mad at me. It'll pass, I think. Although, to be honest I'm the one who's usually sulky and mad…"

Raphael looked into Ko's eyes. "By the way, Donnie told me April's coming after school; shouldn't be long before she gets here. She'll probably be staying the night; it's Friday after all. You probably already noticed, but purple lover boy has a crush on her. So adorable when your little bro stumbles and stutters like an idiot when he sees her. Don't tell him I told ya that."

Ko giggled and Raph grinned triumphantly.

Just then, a new voice filled the lair, a feminine voice. _"It must be April."_ Ko thought. "Guys, I'm here! I brought some pizza!

"I'll be back soon." Raphael got up and left.

Why was he being so nice? He wasn't the nice one. But he felt comfortable around her. It felt like he could tell her anything and she would just listen and stare at him. She was a human version of his Spike; or what Spike used to be.

April was in the kitchen trying to salvage one of the pizzas from Mikey's wrath and Leo was sitting at the table. "Hey, Raph." She said with a smile as she offered a slice to him.

"Hey, April."

"Where's Donnie?" At this question, Mikey stopped eating and smiled.

"Oh he's sleeping, but I'll go wake him up for you." His smiled widened as he inconspicuously walked out of the kitchen.

"No water balloons Mikey!" Leo shouted from his spot.

Minutes later, Don walked into the kitchen; he looked like a drowned cat. Mikey had obviously and blatantly ignored Leo. "Good morning…" He slurred. The water balloons hadn't been enough to wake him up completely. Raph grinned and April chuckled. April knew Donnie well and already had a steaming cup of coffee waiting for him on the table. Donnie sat down and patiently drank his coffee.

"So how's the girl?"

"You mean Ko? She's a cutie!" Mikey answered enthusiastically.

"Ko woke up last night." Raph added.

"Really? That's great!"

At first, Leo tried not to look interested in the conversation but failed abysmally when he heard she had woken up. "She woke up? I hadn't even noticed."

"Of course you didn't. All you've been doing lately is shutting yourself in the dojo."

"Stop it Raph, I'm warning you."

"Oh really? And what are you gonna do? Run to poppa and cry?"

The tension in the air was so thick that the others in the room could swear they could touch it. Donnie took the initiative and hurried up to shift the conversation.

"Yeah, she woke up. By the way, April, I was wondering if you could help her take a bath. I don't want to risk her passing out in the tub or slipping if she did it alone."

"Yeah, no problem Donnie."

Their conversation seemed to have calmed down both Raph and Leo for now. They were both still glaring daggers at each other though.

"Say April, how about you come and meet Ko? Just so you know, she doesn't remember anything before waking up."

April agreed and followed Donnie to his lab. The other guys also got up and followed. Ko was sitting on her makeshift bed, staring at the countless objects Donnie had in his lab. She seemed very interested in a toaster that was in the middle of being dismantled.

When she noticed the turtles and the girl at the entrance she smiled and greeted them. "Oh, hi."

"Ko, this is April. April, this is Ko." Donnie introduced them.

"Hey Ko, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too."

"By the way Ko, I don't think you've met Leo yet, haven't you?" Donnie added.

Leo was tall, but not as tall as Donnie and even though he didn't seem that mad at the moment, Ko couldn't help but wonder. "Hey Ko, sorry we haven't talked yet. I've been, kind of busy." Leo said.

"Oh no, that's alright. Besides, I've only been a bother since I came."

Leo felt a pang of guilt and smiled at her. "No, that's not true. Besides, from what I've heard Mikey really enjoys your company. He said something about watching the Tooth Fairy with you after watching the Vampire Llamas." Even when Ko did not stop smiling color drained from her face and Leo noticed. He remembered those movies, especially The Zombie Tooth Fairy one _._ Only thinking about it made him shudder. Maybe he shouldn't have mentioned that.

"Anyway, April said she'd help you take a bath. Is it ok with you?" Donnie asked.

"Yeah, and frankly I really want to take one. I smell like a sewer." Ko's nose wrinkled as she said this.

"Great, how about I go run a bath while April helps you get ready?"

"Sounds good Donnie."

Donnie went to the bathroom and the rest of the turtles left to finish off the pizzas. April rummaged through the clothing articles she had brought earlier and took out a pair of sweatpants and a yellow t-shirt. Most of those clothes were yellow, Ko noticed.

"I'm glad my clothes fit you, I don't know what Donnie would have done if they hadn't. Yellow certainly looks good on you too."

At the bathroom, Donnie had filled the tub with warm water and was waiting for the girls to arrive. A few minutes later, April and Ko were at the bathroom's door.

"There's soap over there and I left some towels too. If you need anything just call me." Donnie left, only to come back immediately. "You don't need anything else, right?"

"Nope, we're good." April reassured.

Once he was gone April sighed. "He's way too nice. Maybe too nice."

April, carefully helped Ko wash her long dark hair and while they were at it, they had a nice chat.

"Wow, you're so beat up. Does it hurt much?" April had found the burn mark on Ko's back and was now watching it.

"Now you mention it, it does hurt when I move around. I don't even know how I'm walking."

"Forget about walking, how are you even standing is more like it."

Both girls chuckled and April wondered if such a nice person could really be part of something as monstrous as the Foot Clan.

"You're so lucky the guys found you. I hope they're treating you well."

"Yeah, they are all very nice to me. I don't know how to thank them enough." Just then, Ko remembered a few words Donnie had told her about April. "So April, are you really close with the guys?"

"I think you could say that. They've helped me a lot too. They are like my brothers. Leo's always trying to keep everything under control; he'd definitely be the eldest. Raph and Mikey are always causing a ruckus… You could never get bored around them."

Ko had her right where she wanted her; she would drop the question. "What about Donnie?"

"Oh, Donnie. I like him very much as well. He's always there when I need him, no matter what or when. He also helps me a lot with school projects. Sometimes, I feel bad for him. I mean, he has such an amazing mind and he'll never be able to go to school, or College, or work at a real lab with all that technological equipment he's always talking about. Overall, he's a very sweet guy. It's too bad the outside world doesn't have more people like him. Why you ask?"

"Just curious. Although, I do think the same way you do. If only the World wasn't so judgmental, they wouldn't be losing on such amazing people."

"I know, right?"

Over the next few days, Ko spent most of her time watching Mikey play videogames, chatting idly with either Raph or April and silently watching Donnie work on his projects. Sometimes, Leo also joined but he was usually alone in the dojo with Master Splinter.

Master Splinter was very fatherly, and Ko had liked him for this from the very beginning. He always sent her caring smiles or reassuring words when they all sat down for meals or when he walked by the room. He treated her the way he would treat a child. Although Raph sometimes found it annoying, Ko kind of liked it. It made her feel like she was part of the family.

" _Don't be silly. How could you be part of any family?"_ Sometimes, thoughts like this strayed into her mind, but Ko simply didn't pay them any heed.

One day, April and Ko were watching Mikey playing a new racecar game. Raph didn't seem to be winning anytime soon and both girls had taken to amuse themselves by watching his exasperated facial expressions every time he lost a race.

"That's it, I'm not playing anymore! You've got to be cheating somehow!" With this, Raph got up and left for the kitchen.

"Well, since he's gone we could just watch that Tooth Fairy movie."

April was fast at reacting and declined. "Actually, both Ko and I are going to the dojo. She's barely been there and I want to show her a few things."

"Oh well, guess I'll just watch it by myself."

The girls got up and walked towards the dojo. "Are you sure it's okay? I think Leo is practicing in there. Wouldn't we be bothering him?"

"Don't worry Ko. He's cool with us watching him practice. Actually, he really likes it when the others are watching. It makes him feel important. He usually rants about how to make your form better and stuff like that."

"If you say so."

Indeed, Leo was there practicing. His eyes were closed as his body moved. He was so concentrated he seemed to not have noticed the girls entering. Ko was mesmerized. Surely not many people would use the words graceful and precision when describing a turtle. Leo was, as Mikey would say, nailing it.

"The world could fall apart and he wouldn't even notice." April whispered. "How does he make it look that easy? No matter how hard I try, I can never pull it off like he does."

They watched him for a while before April looked at her watch and gasped. "Look at the time. It's already this late and tomorrow is Monday. I have to go. See you later Ko."

"Bye April." Ko said without lifting her gaze from Leo.

Leo felt when April got up and left. He had noticed when she had entered the dojo and had sat down to watch. He made sure that his form was the most perfect he could achieve and he made his movements as graceful and precise as possible. His brothers might think he was a showoff, but he was simply setting an example; that was all there was to it.

However, he could feel an intense gaze on him. But how could that be? April had just left, and he had never felt such a feeling before. It was like there were at least five Master Splinters there in the room with him, watching his every move. Not even Master Splinter felt so intense.

He stopped and looked around the room. He saw Ko sitting close to where April had been just a few minutes ago. _"That's strange, I thought April was alone."_ Leo thought.

"Hey Ko, how long have you been here?" His question made Ko's gaze softened as she smiled at him.

"I came in with April some time ago. But she just left for home right now."

"Really? I didn't see you come in."

"Well, you were really concentrated in what you were doing. That was probably it."

"Yeah, that's probably it."

Leo sat down next to Ko and sighed. He hadn't spent as much time with the girl as his brothers had. He didn't know her as much as the others did, but she seemed nice. The only unnerving things about her were that mark on her back and that creepy habit of hers of intensely staring at people. It felt like she was seeing into his soul and even deeper into him; if it that was even possible.

"I was staring, wasn't I? I'm sorry if it unnerved you."

"No, it's okay…"

"No, it's not. It's rude, and since I woke up, I've noticed I have this habit of staring at people. I mean, it was the first thing I did when I woke up. No wonder Donnie looked so creeped out."

"Yeah, I suppose it is kinda creepy…" He said before laughing. "Anyway, what do you think? I mean, you know, about practice."

"It was amazing. I have never seen someone move like that before." Leo smiled at this. "Or at least I don't think I have. You know what I mean."

"What were you doing before coming here?"

"I was watching Mikey and Raph try this new game Mikey found. But Raph got tired of losing so he left. April and I then came here."

"Ha, he's always been a sore loser."

"Are you still mad at him?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, you weren't talking and stuff."

"You mean that? No, I'm not mad. We may be at each other's throats at times, but we don't stay mad for eternity." Leo was surprised at how candid Ko was. "So you don't have to worry about that."

"Really? What a relief. I thought that maybe you two weren't speaking to each other because of me."

"What? Okay, now I'm confused."

"I thought that you were mad at Raph because he had put you all at risk when he brought me here."

Leo laughed out loud before looking into Ko's confused face. How could somebody from the Foot Clan be so naïve?

"I'm sorry, it's just, why would you even think that? We are family, no matter what, Raph and I could never stay mad at each other forever. I mean, he's my brother and I do care about him. That's what family is."

Ko seemed to have gone deep in thought. She had been silly after all.

"I'm so jealous right now. I wish I had a family like yours."

Leo noticed the hint of sadness in her voice. "You probably do. Maybe you just can't remember them right now." Leo knew he was probably lying. If Ko had really been with the Foot, then probably she did not have anyone waiting for her and no home to return to.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. I just hope I'm not worrying them too much."

"Don't worry; until you find your family you're welcome to join ours."

" _No, don't make this mistake. Don't be an idiot."_ But like always, Ko pushed this thought to the very back of her mind and forgot about it, and with a big smile she said: "Thanks, Leo."

 **Author's Note:** **Finallyyyyy! You guys have like no idea how many times I rewrote this chapter. I'm going to admit it, I got stuck. I know already the general direction in which the story is going to move but there are certain scenes (like the final one with Leo) that I haven't figured out yet. I know it's been like two months and a half (please don't kill me) but I finally did it. To those who are following the story, next chapter is going to be a lot shorter (I already have the draft) so it will not take as long as it did with this one (hopefully). Remember to leave a review and let me know what you think about the story (reviews really help a lot). Until next time!**


	6. Nightly Talks

The night was cold, it was probably snowing already, but Ko didn't mind. She was sitting on the couch in the dark. It was late, but she didn't believe she would be able to sleep anytime soon. She tightened her grip on the blanket that covered her and closed her eyes. Maybe she could force herself to fall asleep. It wasn't working.

Footsteps echoed through the lair and Ko peered to see who it was. A broad figure was navigating through the dark. "Is that you, Raph?"

"What are you doing awake? Did I wake you up?"

"No, I just couldn't sleep. What about you?"

"Same as you."

Ko made some space for the turtle and he sat down. He looked tired, but not sleepy in the least. Ko had come to know Raphael very well over the past weeks. They spent a lot of time just sitting in a room without doing much, and that was okay with both of them. They both felt comfortable just doing that, and they both liked it the way it was.

Ko felt she had to say something this once. "Is there something on your mind?"

"I don't know it's just that I've had trouble sleeping for some time now. You see, I lost a friend of mine and it was all my fault."

"I see. That's too bad. But I'm sure if they are your friend for real, you'll both make it up to each other."

Raphael chuckled to himself at such naivety. He was sure Spike, or Slash, wasn't exactly going to come over and talk things over with some tea and cake.

"It's not that simple. You see, I had Spike since he was a teeny tortoise, and I mean a real normal tortoise, he was the one to hear me out every time I had something to say. Not like he could answer back, anyways. But still, he was my friend…"

And so, Raphael told the whole story of how Spike had gotten mutated into a giant angry tortoise that wanted to kill his brothers. Ko listened intently and not once did she ever interrupt him. Ko was definitely better at listening than any of the other turtles, and there were things Raph would rather not tell his father about. He often kept things to himself, and that was probably why he was always so angry and annoyed.

"Well, I just spilled my heart out; now it's your turn."

"My turn?"

"Yeah, tell me what's keeping you up at night."

Ko seemed to hesitate at first. Should she share what had been happening to her? Raph had shared something very personal with her, making it obvious that he trusted her. She trusted him as well.

"I've been having nightmares for some days now. It might sound childish, but I'm actually scared of falling asleep and having another one." Raphael just looked at her and paid attention the same way she had done previously. "Most of it is just a blur of dark colors, but I can hear screaming. In my dreams, I hear a lot of screaming. I can hear men and women, and sometimes, I've also heard children. Most of the time, I can't make out what they're screaming about, but there are times I can hear them clearly. They cry for help, and then I feel something so hot on my back that I feel my skin is melting. I try to scream as well but I can't. No matter how much I try, I don't make a sound."

Ko lowered her face and stared at the ground, she really didn't want to relive one of her nightmares. Raph was at a loss about what to do. Usually, when he or one of his brothers had bad dreams when they were younger, they went to Master Splinter. Raph really wasn't one to give words of encouragement or cuddles. He decided to rest his hand on her shoulder. Maybe the contact would make her feel better.

"Look Ko, they're just dreams, and dreams aren't real. You probably have seen way too much of Mikey's movies. Just forget all about it and you'll soon stop having dreams."

Ko looked at him with her dark eyes and smiled. "Yeah, you're right."

"Say, how 'bout we watch a movie? A normal one, obviously. Have you ever seen Batman?"

 **Author's Note:** **Hello once again. I told you guys this chapter was going to be shorter (and by shorter I mean a hella lot shorter) but it's still a very important chapter. Things are starting to get interesting. Remember to review and let me know your thoughts about the story (it really helps if you do). See you next time!**


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